


Traded

by Parri



Category: Original Work
Genre: Child Abuse, Fantasy, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kings & Queens, Minor Character Death, Original Character(s), Other, Princes & Princesses, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-13
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2019-04-22 07:17:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14303619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Parri/pseuds/Parri
Summary: Sogo is the prince of Oseon. Aona is his guard for life. If Sogo stops reigning, Aona stops living.Sogo is the stubborn prince to a continent which is stuck in it's old rules and culture. With no wishes for change, King Suly, Sogo's father, decides to take things up a notch and start a war, ruining Sogo's chances at a pleasant reign.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is an orginal story. It's part of no fandom. I'm hoping to get some positive feedback and I hope that this is actually read. I hope you enjoy it.

     Sogo woke up to a gentle hand on his shoulder that was shaking his upper body.  
“Sir, it’s time to wake up,” a soft voice said, the hand on his shoulder disappearing. Sogo let out a groan, rolling onto his back as he cracked one eye open. Aona was standing at the side of his bed, dressed in his uniform which consisted of black slacks and a black button-up.  
“What time is it?” Sogo asked, rubbing one hand over his face. Aona looked at the watch on his wrist.  
“Almost five, Sir,” he answered, lowering his arm again. Sogo sighed and sat up, the blankets falling to his waist.  
“I told you to call me ‘Sogo’ when we’re alone. You’re my friend as well as my guard,” he said.  
“Of course, do you need any help getting ready for the day?” Aona asked.  
“No. If you could just brief me on my schedule for today while I get dressed that’d be good,” Sogo said, getting out of his bed.  
     Aona nodded as he moved away from Sogo’s bed to stand in front of the door, his hands clasped in front of him.  
“Your father has requested that you be present for his meeting with the court member from Xeron this afternoon,” he recited, watching as Sogo removed his sleep shirt.  
“What is the subject of this meeting?” Sogo mused, pushing his arms into his light blue button-up.  
“I believe it’s about the port in Bexdon. King Siey is upset that your father won’t let anyone who isn’t pureblood Kobold leave the port,” Aona answered. Sogo grunted quietly.  
“Why do I have to attend then?”  
“Your father wants you to start taking responsibility. He believes you still aren’t ready to be crowned,” Aona answered. Sogo chuckled softly as he buttoned his shirt up.  
“What about you?” he asked, looking up at Aona.  
     Aona’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. ‘What about me, Si-,” Aona cut himself off. “Sogo, I meant.”  
“Do you think I’m ready to be crowned?” Sogo hummed, fixing the collar on his shirt.  
“As someone under you, I think you should’ve been crowned last year,” Aona said, turning his gaze to the floor in front of Sogo’s feet.  
“As my friend, then?”  
“Sir, you aren’t very responsible and I’m not sure that I’d be confident having you as my king. You take too many risks without thinking about the outcomes,” Aona answered, shifting on his feet. Sogo laughed quietly, grabbing a pair of black slacks from his closet.  
“Does that mean I shouldn’t be confident that you’ll do your job?” he asked, slipping his pants off.  
“No, Sir. I’d still protect you with my life the same as if you were the perfect king,” Aona said.  
“You were trained well, Aona. I’ll be sure to reward you graciously when I finally get crowned,” Sogo murmured, stepping into his slacks and pulling them up.  
“Thank you, Sogo.”  
“Anything else on the schedule?”  
“You’ve got a hunting class in the evening and a medicine class later in the morning,” Aona answered. Sogo groaned quietly.  
“I hate the medicine classes. There are so many terms to learn and ultimately remember,” he said, fixing his hair so his bangs were out of his eyes.  
     Aona chuckled softly, looking up at Sogo finally.  
“They are useful in the long run, Sir. If you ever got ill, you could use that knowledge to treat yourself,” he pointed out.  
“Or you, Aona. If I’m forced to learn this, I’d use it on whoever needed it; not just myself,” Sogo said, slipping his shoes on.  
“That’s very noble of you, Sir.”  
“What will you do while I’m in class?” Sogo asked.  
“The same as usual; I’ll wait outside your class and do the work for my classes,” Aona answered.  
“Sorry that I stole your freedom,” Sogo said quietly.  
“You didn’t; your father did. I could’ve grown up poor, so I don’t need an apology. I’m learning more than I would’ve, had you father not picked me,” Aona said, shrugging his shoulders.  
“At least you’re looking at the bright side of things,” Sogo said, walking to stand in front of Aona.  
“It’s an effective way to live your life, Sir. You should try it sometime,” Aona teased, opening the door for Sogo.  
     Sogo rolled his eyes, stepping into the hallway.  
“If I could fire you, you’d be fired,” he said, tucking his shirt into his pants.  
“I’ll make note of that, Sir,” Aona said as he followed Sogo into the hallway. “Would you like to stop for breakfast before your class, Sir?” Sogo ran his tongue over his teeth.  
“No, I think I’ll just grab lunch after my class. The teacher makes me try various plants and some of them are bitter enough to make my stomach roll,” he answered, rolling his sleeves up to his elbows.  
“Alright, Sir. Do you know what you’ll be hunting this evening?” Aona asked as he started walking down the hallway.  
“I’m sure it’ll be Foresti. I’m supposed to be able to hunt them in low light,” Sogo answered, humming softly.  
“I’m sure you’ll do well. I’ve seen your class scores. You’re doing decent work in all of your classes, Sir,” Aona said, looking back at Sogo. Sogo ran his fingers through his hair as he started following Aona.  
“When do I get to see my scores? It’d be nice to know what I have to improve in,” he complained, lowering his hand again.  
“That’s the point, Sir. They don’t tell you and that makes you work harder in all your classes. If you saw your scores, you’d loosen up in some of your classes and that would lower your scores,” Aona explained. Sogo rolled his eyes, stuffing his hands in his pockets.  
“Who came up with that great idea?” he asked, looking at the floor as he walked.  
“I believe it was your great grandfather who decided that keeping secrets would make the princes work harder, Sir,” Aona answered. “Do you want to go through the building or cut through the garden?”  
“Cut through the garden? Am I really rubbing off on you that much?” Sogo teased. Aona scoffed and turned his head to look at Sogo.  
“Regardless of what you think, I am not as well behaved as your father wants to believe, Sir.”  
“I like that. We can cut through the garden. It’ll be faster, and I could use some sun to wake me up a bit more,” Sogo answered.  
     Aona chuckled softly and took a right, walking through a doorway that lead into another hallway.  
“It’s hot today. Make sure you’re drinking enough water, Sir.”  
“It’s hot every day, Aona. Today is no different,” Sogo pointed out, following after Aona slowly.  
“I’m just trying to look out for you, Sir.”  
“I know, Aona. I appreciate it. You make sure to stay hydrated as well,” Sogo said, setting his hand on Aona’s shoulder.  
“I will, Sir. Thank you. Would you like to go straight to your class or do you want to do something else until you go in?” Aona asked, his head tilting slightly as he stopped in front of the door leading outside.  
“I can think of a hundred things I’d rather do than go to Medicine class, Aona.”  
“You could stop and see your father before you go to class. It might sway him to crown you faster if he thought you took the time to go see him,” Aona suggested, opening the door. The sun was shining brightly and there was no breeze, just hot and dry air. Sogo shrugged his shoulders, letting his head fall to the side.  
“I suppose I could do that. You sure are eager to get me crowned, Aona. I’m flattered,” Sogo smiled, crossing his arms over his chest.  
“It’s what you were born for, Sir. You shouldn’t have to wait so long to be able to do it,” Aona answered, stepping outside. Sogo rolled his eyes as he followed him out.  
“I like to think I was born for something else; not just being king. Just like you were born for something other than being my guard. Imagine if we’d never met,” Sogo said, letting the door slam closed behind them.  
“I’m sure I’d be a very sad and poor farmer’s son. As for you, you’d still be the prince and you’d be well off,” Aona said, squinting against the sun as he looked around.  
“I’d be a very sad prince. I could’ve gotten stuck with an unattractive and lazy guard. I’m glad I got stuck with you, though. Attractive and hard working,” Sogo said, grinning as he did. Aona looked at the ground as his cheeks went warm.  
“You shouldn’t say such things. Your father will get the wrong impression,” he whispered, pushing his arms harder into his sides.  
“What impression might that be?” Sogo asked, his tone rougher than before. Aona shifted on his feet as he avoided Sogo’s gaze.  
“He might start to think things, Sir.”  
“What kind of things, Aona. Go on. You can say it.”  
“He might think that you don’t like women, Sir,” Aona mumbled, rubbing his heel on the ground roughly.  
“What does it matter if he does? What if I don’t like women?” Sogo asked, taking a step towards Aona.  
“The-there’s nothing wrong with that, Sir,” Aona whispered, lowering his head farther.  
“Then why bring it up? You nervous that maybe I’ll start liking you?” Sogo mused, tilting his head. Aona shook his head, biting at his lip as he stayed quiet. “Answer me, Aona.”  
“No, Sir. I’m not nervous that you’ll start liking me. I’m worried that your father won’t crown you if you do,” Aona said. Sogo scoffed quietly, tipping his head back to look at the sky.  
“My grandfather had a romantic relationship with his guard. It’s not wrong, Aona. It’s nothing that will keep me from being crowned, I can assure you that,” he answered.  
“If you father doesn’t look down on you, the people of Oseon might, Sir.”  
“Do you think I care about what they think? I’m here to guide them and they’re here to follow. What they think doesn’t keep me up at night, Aona. Either they follow me, or they crash, and they’ll be the ones to go down with the blame,” Sogo said, lifting his hand to set it on Aona’s arm.  
     Aona caught a glimpse of Sogo’s arm in his peripheral and flinched slightly, pulling his arm back.  
“It’s wrong, Sir. I’m here to protect you and getting involved like that could end badly,” he said, taking a step away from Sogo.  
“Who said that it was wrong?”  
“Sir, I’ve heard the things people say and it’s no-,”  
“Shut up, Aona. Who are you going to listen to? Your best friend and prince or a few people who are close-minded?” Sogo interrupted, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Aona. Aona scowled as he looked up at Sogo.  
“If you turn your people on you, you’ll achieve nothing, Sir.”  
“What do you think I’m trying to achieve? I’ll be king regardless if my people like me or not. If they decide that I’m not the king they want, they can leave,” Sogo said, grabbing Aona’s arm.  
“Sir, I do not wish to be one of experiments. I understand that you haven’t socialized with anyone who’s your age other than me, but you don’t get to treat me like a test without my consent and I won’t give it,” Aona argued, tugging his arm back.  
“What if I don’t see you as a test or an experiment? What if I’ve got real feelings for you?”  
“I’m your guard and nothing else, Sir. Please respect that,” Aona said, letting his gaze fall back to the ground.  
“I respect your decision, Aona. I won’t force you to do something you’re not comfortable with, but I think that you’re just denying your feelings because you’ve be taught that it’s wrong,” Sogo said, dropping his hand back to his side.  
“Sir, it’s not like that. I think you’re confusing best friend feelings and romantic feelings with each other because you haven’t been exposed to women your age that aren’t friends with you,” Aona said, clearing his throat.  
“I believe that women are attractive, and I’d have no problem being romantically involved with one, but I don’t have feelings for any women,” Sogo said. “I have feelings for my guard and my life-long best friend, Aona.”  
“I can’t reciprocate your feelings, Sir,” Aona said quietly, shifting on his feet.  
“Yet. I know that there’s something there and you just won’t admit to it because you’re ashamed.”  
“I’m not asha-.”  
“You don’t have to be ashamed, Aona. It’s not wrong for you to be romantic with men instead of women. You were raised by my father to believe it is, but it isn’t. My father isn’t your father. He’s your king and you trusted him to lead you down the right path, but he didn’t and that isn’t your fault, Aona,” Sogo said.  
“Sir, it’s not like that. You’re not listening to me,” Aona complained, looking up at Sogo, a glare marring his usually soft features.  
“I am listening to you,” Sogo argued.  
“No, you’re not. I don’t think it’s wrong; I think it’s embarrassing. I’m not immune to the talk of the people. If I wanted to be romantically involved with you in any way, I would be embarrassed to be open about it. You’re not embarrassed about it at all obviously,” Aona said, his tone rising as his hands clenched into fists at his sides.  
“Aona,” Sogo breathed out. “We wouldn’t have to be open about it. It could be our secret.”  
“I don’t see you as anything other than a best friend and my prince, Sir. I’m sorry,” Aona said. Sogo shook his head as he moved closer to Aona.  
“You don’t have to be sorry, Aona. It’s not your fault that you don’t feel the same and I won’t force you to. I want you to listen, though, okay?” Sogo asked quietly, setting his hand on the side of Aona’s neck. Aona stiffened but nodded as he bit his lip to keep from snapping at Sogo.  
“Yes, I’ll listen.”  
“You think I’m wrong about my feelings because I’ve never been close to women who aren’t friends that are my age, right? Well, I think that you’re wrong about your feelings, too. I think that you do like me romantically, but you’ve been taught to see me as someone above you; better than you even. I think that makes you feel unworthy,” Sogo said, brushing his thumb over the underside of Aona’s jaw.  
     Aona turned his head to the side, avoiding Sogo’s intense stare.  
“You are someone above me. You’re the prince and I’m a low-ranked pureblood. You could ki-kill me and get away with it if you wanted to, Sir,” he said, ignoring the way his voice cracked.  
“I would never hurt you, Aona. You’re my best friend. I’d hurt myself before I hurt you, alright?”  
“Yes, Sir.”  
“Now, I never want to hear you say that I’m above you. I’m the prince and you’re my guard. I see us as equals, okay? I would never do anything to make you think that you’re under me because I don’t think you are. We were raised together, and we’ll rule Oseon together,” Sogo said, squeezing the side of Aona’s neck gently.  
“Yes, Sir. I understand. You’ll never get a chance to rule, though, if you don’t go to your classes and get good scores,” Aona said, his tone lighter than before. Sogo chuckled and ducked his head to lean his forehead on Aona’s shoulder.  
“You’re the one who suggested I wait before going to class, Aona. You’re to blame as much as I am if I get bad scores,” he laughed out. Aona cracked a soft smile, leaning his head against Sogo’s.  
“I’ll take the blame, but I won’t forgive you if your scores dip beneath mine,” he said.  
“I’m sure my scores are already beneath yours, Aona. You’re a genius with a good memory.”  
“Maybe I should be king, then?” Aona teased. Sogo scoffed and rolled his eyes as he stood back up.  
“I don’t think so. I’m not strong enough to be considered a good guard at all. You could be attacked, and I would break a leg running to protect you,” Sogo chuckled, letting his hand fall from Aona’s neck.  
“You wouldn’t be the best guard, but you’d be the perfect guard for me. Ambitious with a heart of gold. I would know that I was well protected, even if you couldn’t provide proper defense against an attacker,” Aona said, lifting his head.  
“We’ll stick to the story where I’m the prince and you’re the guard and we’ll eventually rule the continent and be happy together while doing so, yeah?” Sogo asked. Aona smiled softly, ducking his head again.  
“That story sounds a lot better than mine. We’ll go with that one.”  
     Sogo grinned and looked down at Aona.  
“Well, I guess we should go see my father now. Anything to get me crowned faster, you know?”  
“Yes, Sir. I’m sure he’ll be pleased that you came to see him without urging from him,” Aona answered, lifting his head once more.  
“He’s so hard to deal with, Aona. You know how he gets. He talks like he’s the best king Oseon has ever seen,” Sogo said, starting to walk again through the grass area in front of the castle.  
“I understand, Sir. He’s cocky and it’s going to be the reason he fails as king, but he’s done lots of good stuff for the people and he’s well respected by many,” Aona pointed out, following after Sogo. Sogo rolled his eyes and lowered his head as he chuckled softly.  
“What’s the first thing you’d do as king, Aona?” he asked. Aona cleared his throat and moved to walk beside Sogo, his eyes wandering the yard as they walked slowly.  
“I’d get rid of the pureblood status. We’re the least diverse continent of Laskiotov. It’s upsetting, Sir,” he answered, his tongue poking out of his mouth.  
“I don’t think that the king can make that go away, Aona. He might be able to make a small dent in the topic, but unless the people agree, mixed races won’t be allowed,” Sogo said, looking over at Aona. “Besides, you’re not mixed race and you don’t know anyone who isn’t Kobold, so what’s the big deal?”  
“It doesn’t matter if I’m Kobold or of mixed race. If I want to pick a place to live, I should be able to go anywhere I please. Mixed races aren’t allowed past the ports, Sogo. Do you have any idea how bad they must feel?” Aona asked, his jaw clenched tight as he looked at Sogo. Sogo shrugged his shoulders and looked back in front of him.  
“No, I don’t, but it doesn’t matter to me. Oseon was here first and we’re simply maintaining our culture. We wear the same clothes today that we did centuries ago. We eat the same things, we have the same rules, and we’re happy to live that way. People can live the same way as us, without living here,” Sogo said.  
“What if you met a girl who wasn’t Kobold? You fell in love with her, had a baby with her, then woke up one day to find out that she was killed, and your child was gone because they weren’t pureblood?” Aona asked as he stopped walking.  
“Aona,” Sogo sighed. “You’re worrying too much about other people. There are ways to get past that situation, you know. If I ever did fall in love with somebody who wasn’t Kobold, I’d leave the continent. I’m allowed to do that, Aona. I can leave and raise my mixed family in a different place.”  
“You can’t leave Oseon, though. You’d be giving up your rights to the throne if you did,” Aona argued. Sogo laughed, his head falling back as he turned to Aona fully. He sobered up, looking at his face.  
“If I fell in love with someone, I would move continents for them whether it meant losing my title or not. Being king is nothing special to me. I was born into this, I didn’t earn it. I damn well don’t deserve it, but I’m going to make the best out of it, so I don’t mess up anyone else’s life,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. “Do you understand?”  
“Yes, Sir. I understand,” Aona said, lowering his head in defeat.  
“Good. Now that you’ve bowed down, we can go talk to my father, but I advise you to stay quiet. He won’t tolerate your sassy mood like I do,” Sogo warned him, a small smile gracing his lips.  
“Sorry, Sir.”  
“Don’t be. I like that. It’s nice having someone not bow down immediately. Reminds me that I’m still just a human, too.”  
“Yes, Sir.”  
“Don’t be so grumpy, Aona. I’m not scolding you and you’re not in trouble. You’ll never have to apologize for speaking your mind. I might not agree, but I won’t tell you that you’re wrong,” Sogo said, uncrossing his arms. “Besides, I like it when you argue with me, It’s my favorite concept.” Sogo paired his words with a soft wink. Aona flushed, licking his lips as he looked at his feet.  
“That’s where you differ from your father. Your father would have my head on his sword for arguing with him. He may even do it for arguing with you, Sir. You’ll be a good king if you can refrain from making heads fly for no reason,” he said.  
“True. I’ll also be the only king who hasn’t had anyone killed for no reason before being crowned,” Sogo pointed out. Aona smiled softly and lifted his head.  
“You’re already a better king than your father, Sir,” he said, the praise rolling off his tongue easily.  
“You’re already a better guard than Oloru,” Sogo said, smiling back at Aona.  
“Thank you, Sir. We should probably go inside. I’m sweating already, and we’ve only been out here for ten minutes,” Aona said quietly. Sogo let out a soft chuckle, nodding his head along with Aona’s words.  
“Probably should. I’m sweating, too,” Sogo said.  
     They were quiet as they made their way to the castle entrance, Aona walking in front of Sogo by a few steps, his eyes darting around in front of them as they made their way up the stairs.  
“What if he’s busy?” Sogo asked, stopping in front of the door. “Maybe we shouldn’t go see him so early.”  
“He’s not busy, Sir. I was here before I woke you up,” Aona answered, setting his hand on Sogo’s shoulder.  
“What if somebody from outside the castle is here?”  
“Sogo, nobody is here except your father and his guards. You’re fine. Quit stalling and let’s just go in already.” Sogo took a deep breath before nodding. He let his hand drift to the handle of the door, his fingers shaking as he pulled it open. Aona watched him carefully before grabbing his wrist gently. Sogo flinched slightly before he relaxed, looking at Aona.  
“I can do it. I’m fine,” he snapped, pushing Aona’s hand off. “I don’t need you babying me, Aona.”  
“I understand, Sir. I’m not trying to make you feel weak. I was only trying to help,” Aona said, dropping his hand back to his side. Sogo sighed softly before looking back to the door.  
“Sorry. I know. I’m sorry,” he said, pulling the door open wider. Aona shook his head in acknowledgement.  
“You don’t have to apologize, Sir. Your father is a scary man; your panic is normal,” he said, moving to hold the door open for Sogo. “It’s taken practice to perfect a face that doesn’t look terrified in his presence.” Sogo let out a soft chuckle, letting go of the door to drop his hands back at his sides.  
“Thanks, Aona. I’ll be fine, though. It’s just the nerves that come before I see him. They’ll go away once we start talking; don’t worry,” Sogo said softly, stepping into the castle.  
     The interior was dimly lit, the sun peeking through the curtains that covered the wide windows which were placed artistically along the room.  
“Of course, Sir. I’ll be here to step in if things get too heated,” Aona assured him, stepping in as well and letting the door close behind him. Sogo looked down at the floor beneath his feet, letting himself get distracted by the abstract patters carved into the wood.  
“What do I even say to him?” he asked, running his foot over a few lines.  
“Whatever you’d like to, Sir. You could talk about the weather or the meeting this afternoon. You could even ask for tips on hunting, so you can improve your scores in that class,” Aona suggested. Sogo looked up at Aona.  
“Are you hinting that my scores in my hunting class aren’t good?” he asked. Aona shrugged his shoulders.  
“They might be great, they might need improving. The power of secrets will make you work harder, Sir.”  
“You’re a terrible person, Aona. I hope you realize that,” Sogo said, his lip curling up as he glared at Aona. Aona laughed softly and pat the back of Sogo’s head.  
“Let’s go see the king, Sir. I’m sure he’s been alerted that we’re here already. Don’t want to keep him waiting, do we?” he asked, smiling at Sogo. Sogo’s glare melted away as he looked at Aona, fondness curling around his chest.  
“No, we don’t. Lead the way, Aona,” he said. Aona kept smiling as he started walking down the length of the front room towards the back wall, which held a set of doorways.  
“Want to take the short way or the long way?” Aona asked, turning to look at Sogo as he walked backwards slowly to avoid tripping over his feet.  
“The short way. Don’t want to keep my father waiting any longer than necessary,” Sogo replied, following after Aona. Aona chuckled and turned back around, stopping in front of the second doorway.  
“After you, Sir,” Aona said, taking a step to the side. Sogo walked through the doorway first, letting his shoulder brush against the wall to make more room for Aona to walk beside him.  
     Aona made his way beside Sogo, his eyes darting quickly over the hallway as they walked.  
“Do you think that my father is holding the crown from me just because he doesn’t want to give it up?” Sogo asked, wringing his hands together in front of him. Aona shrugged his shoulder, turning to look at Sogo.  
“I’m not sure, Sir. It’s possible, but if he wasn’t ready to give up the crown, he wouldn’t have had you,” he answered, glancing at Sogo.  
“He might’ve been ready and then I got older and he decided that I wasn’t going to be a good king, so he didn’t want to give it up,” Sogo said. “What if he never gives it up?”  
“He’ll be taken down eventually, Sir. Whether his health declines or he’s attacked, you will be crowned,” Aona reassured.  
“Should I ask him?”  
“No, Sir. He might feel threatened if you confront him. I’ll listen in and I’ll see what I can find out for you,” Aona said, looking away from Sogo.  
“Thanks, Aona. You really are the perfect guard,” Sogo said, smiling at Aona. Aona rolled his eyes and glanced at Sogo.  
“Well, I was trained for this. That and being a half-decent person makes the task quite easy,” he replied, his fingers playing with the ends of his sleeves.  
“I was born and trained to be a good king, and that’s not working out too well for me,” Sogo pointed out. Aona rolled his eyes again and let out a soft chuckle.  
“You’re doing an excellent job. Don’t be so hard on yourself, Sir,” he said.  
“I should be harder on you then? I’m going to need a guard who never slacks off if I’m going to be a good king.”  
“You like that I’m efficient enough to be able to slack off occasionally, Sir.”  
“That’s true. Its either that, or I just like you, so it doesn’t matter what you do,” Sogo said quietly.  
“Again, with that, Sir? I thought we weren’t going to have to go over this again,” Aona complained, his head tipping forward slightly.  
“Shut up, Aona. You’re just in denial about everything. If I was the prince, you’d be able to feel your feelings correctly.”  
“What if you weren’t the prince and I still didn’t like you that way?” Aona mused. Sogo rolled his eyes and set his hand on Aona’s shoulder as they neared the end of the hallway.  
“Like you could stop yourself from being attracted to me. I’m great. You should be honored that I like you,” he teased. Aona scoffed quietly.  
“You’re so full of yourself, Sir. I’m honored to be your guard, but I’m not so sure about being honored to be the object of your desires,” he mumbled, shrugging Sogo’s hand off his shoulder.  
“Ah, you wound me, Aona,” Sogo said, clutching at his chest playfully. Aona cracked a small smile, looking at Sogo.  
“Serves you right, Sir,” Aona said, stopping in front of the exit of the hallway. “Are you ready?”  
     Sogo sobered up and nodded, smoothing his shirt out from where it had wrinkled when he grabbed at it.  
“Yes, I’m ready. Are you?” he asked, looking down at Aona.  
“Yes, Sir. I’m ready. Just try not to push your father’s buttons too much,” Aona reminded him, straightening his shirt out as well.  
“I’ll try not to push any buttons if I can help it, but you know me; irresponsible and unaware of consequences,” Sogo muttered out. Aona rolled his eyes before stepping out of the hallway. Sogo followed him, stepping into the small room that consisted of one window and blank walls. In front of them, two wooden doors sat. Aona grabbed the handle of one of them, pulling it open.  
“After you, Sir,” he said, stepping back to make room for Sogo to walk through the door. Sogo nodded and stepped through the doorway, into the large room behind the doors. Aona waited until Sogo was through before stepping in behind him, closing the door behind him. His eyes darted over the room, taking in the throne, windows, guards, and king before he lowered his head, his shoulders slumping forwards.  
“Son, you took your time, didn’t you?” King Suly asked, lifting his hand from the arm of his throne to motion Sogo forward. Sogo bowed his head slightly before taking a few steps forward.  
“Yes, Sir. We took the long way here,” he answered, lifting his head again. His eyes flickered to the sides, but he couldn’t see Aona from where he stood behind him.  
“Do you have a good reason for being here?” King Suly hummed, leaning back in his seat. Sogo bit his tongue to keep from answering rashly. He took a minute to compose himself before answering.  
“I thought I’d come see you before my Medicine class. If you’re busy, we can leave.”  
“Stay. It’s nice to see you without having to call for you. My own son, living in the same castle as me and I never see him,” King Suly said. Sogo thought back to Aona’s words and reminded himself to thank him later.  
“Sorry, Sir. I’ve been busy with classes and training. Hunting class is starting to take up my nights as well now,” Sogo replied, clasping his hands behind his back.  
“Aona,” King Suly said. Sogo turned his head to look at Aona as he lifted his head.  
“Yes, your majesty?” he answered, his tone polite and sophisticated as he kept his eyes lowered.  
“Leave. Your services aren’t required in here,” King Suly said, sitting up in the throne. Sogo turned back around quickly.  
“He’s not leaving,” he protested, moving his hands back to his sides. “He stays, or I leave, too.”  
“His services aren’t required in here,” King Suly repeated.  
“Then send Oloru out. His services aren’t needed either,” Sogo said, clenching his jaw. King Suly sighed and rested his chin on his hand.  
“I’ve seen how restless you’ve become since your birthday, Sogo. How am I supposed to be sure that you won’t attack me the minute Oloru is gone?”  
“You think I’d kill my own father for the crown? I should be asking how I’m supposed to be sure that you won’t kill me once Aona leaves so you can have the crown to yourself for longer,” Sogo argued.  
“You’re not supposed to know. You’re supposed to trust that I wouldn’t do such a thing to my son,” King Suly answered. Sogo let out a quiet scoff, rolling his eyes.  
“Shouldn’t you trust me then?”  
“Should I trust your guard, though? He’s lazy and he doesn’t put forth all his effort to protect you. Does that make him look like he actually cares about your wellbeing as his prince?” King Suly asked, raising his hand again and waving with two of his fingers.  
     Oloru moved from King Suly’s side, making his way down the few stairs in front of the throne and walking until he was placed in front of Sogo. Sogo looked up at Oloru, his brows furrowing.  
“Hit him, Oloru.” Sogo had no time to brace himself against the hit to his jaw. His head whipped to the side, his cheek being assaulted with a warm tingling as he let the blood in his mouth trickle out and over his lip. He kept his eyes closed as he felt an arm on his side, pulling him back.  
“Don’t touch him,” Aona growled out, digging his fingers into the back of Sogo’s shirt. King Suly chuckled and clicked his tongue in his mouth.  
“What are you going to do if he does? Are you going to kill him, Aona? Are you going to live up to your training and take his life if he hits the prince again?” he asked, his tone mocking as he looked at Aona. Aona moved Sogo behind him, standing in front of Oloru as they glared at each other.  
“I will, but are you really willing to give up the life of your guard? The one who’s been with you since you were born and has protected you with his life for years?” he asked. King Suly chuckled and waved his hand dismissively as he sat back again.  
“Oloru, come back,” he said. “He’s good, Sogo. Could talk his way out of any situation, I’ll bet. It’s a shame that he seems to be a bit slow, though.” Sogo stayed quietly , using the back of his hand to wipe the blood off his lips. Oloru spared one more glance at Sogo before turning around and making his way back to the king’s side.  
“I’m not slow, Sir. I was taught to trust you and Oloru above all else,” Aona said, his grip loosening on Sogo’s shirt.  
“Weren’t you also taught to trust no one, Aona?” King Suly asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked down at Aona. “Get out. Get him cleaned up and get him to class. If he fails, I’ll be coming after you.”  
     Aona turned around and scowled the minute he did, setting his hand on Sogo’s shoulder as he turned him around and led him back into the small room they’d been in before.  
“Are you okay, Sir?” he asked as soon as the door shut behind them. Sogo moved away from Aona, wiping his hand on his pants.  
“I’m fine, Aona. It’s not the first time it’s happened, and it won’t be the last.”  
“He shouldn’t have touched you at all. You didn’t deserve that,” Aona argued, pulling a small cloth out of his back pocket. He ran the edge of it over Sogo’s chin, cleaning the blood off it.  
“I may not have deserved it, but it happened and there was nothing either of us could’ve done about it,” Sogo said, grabbing Aona’s wrist. He took the cloth from his hand, wiping it over his mouth roughly.  
“I could’ve been faster. Could’ve stepped up before he even got close enough to hit you, Sir. I should’ve been there before he even got down those stairs,” Aona said, watching as Sogo cleaned himself up.  
“Stop. Don’t do that. It’s not your fault that I got hit. He was teaching a lesson and he would’ve taught it whether you got their first or not. You followed what you were taught and I’m glad you did. You could’ve been killed for intervening if it wasn’t his intention to teach,” Sogo said, handing the cloth back to Aona.  
“You got hit, though,” Aona said softly, tucking the cloth back into his pocket.  
“It didn’t even hurt, Aona. It was a slap; not a punch. It’s not even that bad,” Sogo reassured him, lifting his head to look at him.  
“You bled.”  
“I bit my tongue. Stop worrying.”  
“I have to worry. I was trained to worry, Sogo,” Aona said, lowering his head. Sogo rolled his eyes and set his hand on Aona’s head, ruffling his hair.  
“Well, quit. I’m fine and I don’t want you to be distracted. Can’t do your job if you’re distracted, can you?” he asked, smiling softly.  
“No, Sir. I can’t,” Aona said, lifting his head to look at Sogo.  
“It’s done, so you can stop worrying. There’s no pain and no hard feelings, so just relax and let’s get down to the classroom before my father comes after you next. I’m not sure you could take a slap like that to your chubby little cheeks,” Sogo said, lowering his hand to pinch at Aona’s cheek. Aona groaned softly and pushed Sogo’s hand away.  
“Thank you for that, Sir. I needed that,” he said, a soft smile forming on his lips. Sogo grinned and patted Aona’s cheek.  
“Anything to make my guard relax. If you’re tense, I’m in danger and I’d rather like to be crowned before I die, Aona. Didn’t know if you knew that or not,” Sogo said.  
“Yes, Sir. I knew that.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sogo's struggle to reach his goal of being crowned continues, but he's lucky to have such a good guard at his side to help him through it.

                Sogo rolled his sleeves back down as he stepped out of the classroom he was in. Sitting outside the door was Aona, a stack of papers next to his thigh. He looked up when the door opened, a pair of skinny framed glasses perched on his nose.

“Are you done, Sir?” he asked, moving to grab the papers beside him. Sogo raised his hand, stopping him.

“I’m done, but I’ll sit here while you finish yours, alright?” he said, leaning against the wall beside Aona.

“It’s almost time for the meeting, Sir. I can just do it later,” Aona said, looking at Sogo.

“It’s fine. You won’t be the reason we’re late if we are. My class ran over. If anything, we can just skip lunch and we’ll eat after the meeting, alright?” Sogo said, sliding to the ground so he was sat beside Aona.

“I don’t mean to keep you, Sir. I’m just having a bit of trouble with this lesson,” Aona said, looking back to the paper on his lap. Sogo leaned over, skimming the words on the paper.

“Trading ports? What part of that are you struggling with?” he asked, glancing at Aona.

“I’m supposed to name standard procedures that take place in the ports of Oseon, and I can’t remember what order they come in,” Aona answered, leaning his head back as he pushed his glasses up on his nose. Sogo clicked his tongue in his mouth.

“If you don’t tell, I can help you,” Sogo offered, leaning back. Aona looked at Sogo, frowning softly.

“I won’t learn if you do it for me, Sir,” he said. Sogo rolled his eyes and rested his chin on his fist.

“I guess I’ll just have to teach it to you again, then,” he said, looking at the wall opposite of them.

“Sir, you don-.”

“A shipping boat gets docked at the port in Bexdon. What’s the first thing the port guards do?” Sogo interrupted. Aona blushed and looked down at the paper in his lap.

“They check for weapons on the boat. If they find none that are unaccounted for, they let the people off the boat,” Aona said. “I know that one, Sir.” Sogo chuckled softly and looked at Aona.

“What if they find a weapon on the boat that’s not supposed to be there?” he asked.

Aona furrowed his brows and looked back up at Sogo.

“It’s confiscated and when the boat leaves, they get it back,” Aona said.

“What’s next? After they find no weapons or take care of the weapons they find, what comes next?” Sogo asked.

“Uh, the people who want to leave the boat are searched for weapons and other things that might be considered dangerous. People can choose to stay on the boat while it’s unloaded, but some will want to leave,” Aona replied, tapping his pencil on the paper lightly.

“What happens if somebody is caught with dangerous things?”

“They aren’t allowed to leave the boat, Sir, unless they give up whatever it is. They’ll get it back when they get back on the boat to leave,” Aona answered, looking at his paper.

“If they are permitted to leave the boat, what happens next?” Sogo asked, turning his gaze to Aona. Aona bit his lip and ran his fingers through his hair. He let out a soft sigh of frustration, tipping his head forward.

“I don’t know, Sir. I know the steps of port procedure, I just don’t know what order they come in,” Aona mumbled. Sogo clicked his tongue in his mouth.

“Well, what are two possible choices? What makes sense to come next?” he asked, humming quietly.

“PID or the record books, Sir,” Aona answered, lifting his head.

“Think about it, Aona. What does the PID show?”

“It shows your pureblood rank, Sir. If you’re pureblood or not,” Aona replied.

“What do the records show?” Sogo asked.

“Where the pureblood is from and what they looked like at time of registration, Sir. If your PID is yours or if it’s forged,” Aona said, looking back to his paper.

“Can you check where the pureblood is from without knowing their name, Aona?” Sogo asked, his tone light. Aona flushed and covered his eyes with his hand, letting out a shaky exhale.

“No. No, Sir, you can’t,” he said, uncovering his eyes as he scribbled the answers on the paper.

“It’s alright, Aona. You’re learning so much other stuff, it’s okay for you to forget some things,” Sogo assured him, setting his hand on his shoulder gently.

“Yes, Sir. I understand. I’m just embarrassed that it gave me so much trouble. I could’ve gotten it if I had thought about it,” Aona said.

                Sogo chuckled and squeezed Aona’s shoulder.

“It’s alright. What do they do after the PID and record books are checked?”

“If you’re a pureblood from Oseon and your PID isn’t forged, you can leave the port as you wish,” Aona answered.

“Good. If you fail?”

“You can’t leave the port if you’re not pureblood or if you’re not Kobold. You have to stay in the port or on the boat.”

“Good. See, you didn’t even need my help. You just needed to stop overthinking it and you would’ve gotten it on your own,” Sogo said, pulling his hand away from Aona’s shoulder.

“Thank you, Sir. Sorry I made you wait,” Aona said, picking up all of his papers and putting them in a neat stack.

“It’s alright, Aona. I know that you would do the same,” Sogo said, pushing himself off the ground with a soft groan. He held his hand out for Aona to take.

“I would, Sir,” Aona said, taking Sogo’s hand and letting himself be pulled up. He let go to brush the dirt of his pants, tucking his papers under his arm.

“Let’s get some lunch before we go to this dumb meeting,” Sogo said, doing the same to his pants.

“It’s an important meeting, Sir,” Aona pointed out, pulling his glasses off his face. Sogo rolled his eyes and pushed his bangs out of his eyes.

“Doesn’t concern me, so it can’t be that important,” Sogo said, making his way down the wide hallway. Aona chuckled quietly and followed Sogo.

“If you’re going to be king, Sir, you need to experience a few meetings before you get crowned,” he said.

“I suppose that much is true. However, I doubt anything important will be resolved. My father is quite stubborn if you hadn’t figured that out already,” Sogo said, glancing back at Aona.

“I’ve figured that out, Sir. The king is just like the prince,” Aona said, smiling at Sogo. Sogo scoffed and looked back in front of him.

“You’re shit, and you’re fired, Aona. I’m serious this time,” Sogo said. Aona chuckled and shook his head.

“You can’t fire me, Sir. You didn’t hire me,” he said. Sogo stopped walking and turned around, raising his arm so he could point at Aona.

“You weren’t hired, anyway. You were kidnapped and now, I’m un-kidnapping you. Go back to where you came from,” Sogo said, frowning at Aona. Aona laughed softly and lowered his head.

“Do you know how many Dobane’s live in Othmere, Sir? I’m not even sure Dobane is my actual surname. Your father could’ve given it to me to throw me off,” he said, clasping his hands behind his back.

“Fine, you’re still kidnapped, but you’re fired. You can live here until you die, but you don’t serve me anymore,” Sogo said, lowering his hand.

“Sir, if you fired me, I would be killed. I was born to serve you and I live to serve you. Once I’m done serving, I stop living,” Aona said, looking up at Sogo. Sogo cracked a soft smile.

“Well, I can’t have that happen, can I? Guess you’ll have to keep serving me until we both die. I’m not letting go of you that easily,” he said. Aona chuckled and his eyes closed as his lips pulled into a bright smile.

“You’re ridiculous, Sogo.”

“Wouldn’t be me if I wasn’t.” Aona chuckled again and lowered his head, bringing his hands to his sides.

“We should keep going before we’re late for your meeting, Sir,” he said, pushing his hair out of his eyes as he lifted his head.

“Do you know who from Xeron is coming?” Sogo asked, raising one eyebrow as he continued walking.

“I think it’s Ziv Haft, Sir,” Aona replied, following Sogo, his eyes wandering the hall as they walked.

“Shit, that guy is still living? Isn’t he like, pushing seventy-five?”

“He’s seventy-two, Sir. Spriggans live longer than any race and they’re fitter than we are, Sir. He’s going to outlive both of us, no doubt,” Aona said, blinking as the light in the hall changed due to a few sporadically placed windows.

“He must be the best they have, otherwise they wouldn’t send him at that age,” Sogo pointed out.

“He’s a very calm person. Probably the only Spriggan who can sit in the same room as your father and not kill him,” Aona chuckled lightly.

“Hopefully he won’t have to try hard to not kill me. I’m going for the calm king aspect of it all,” Sogo said, pushing his sleeves up his forearms as he neared the door.

“A calm and stubborn king seems to be the direction you’re heading in,” Aona said, stepping in front of Sogo. He opened the door and stepped out, looking around before moving so Sogo could step out as well.

“I’m only stubborn when the situation is important to me,” Sogo said, closing the door behind him. Aona let out a laugh, his eyes squinting against the sun as he skimmed his eyes over their surroundings.

“So, whenever you don’t get something you want?” he accused, looking back at Sogo.

                Sogo scoffed and rolled his eyes.

“You’re fired. Get out of my sight, Aona.”

“You’re not allowed to do that, Sir. I’m here to protect you physically. They didn’t teach me how to protect your feelings,” Aona said, turning his head back. Sogo huffed and slapped the back of Aona’s head.

“You’re mean to me. I should have you fired for mental abuse against the future king,” Sogo protested.

“I can’t be fired, Sir. Only killed; we’ve been over this before. Now, just, don’t stare at Mr. Haft. He’s been through a few wars and he’s a bit beaten up. He won’t take you staring very well,” Aona said, walking over the grass towards the castle entrance and leaving Sogo behind.

“Is his like, missing an arm?” Sogo asked, jogging to catch up with Aona.

“No, he’s got a few scars on his face and his throat. Some burn marks,” Aona replied, pushing his sleeves up to his elbows as he climbed the stairs to the castle doors. Sogo rolled his eyes as he followed Aona, taking the stairs slower.

“That’s no fun. Couldn’t he have lost an arm or something? That would make this meeting so much less boring,” he complained, stopping halfway up the stairs.

“Sir, that’s not something you should wish for, I don’t think? Xeron is an immense help to Oseon and if you get on his bad side, he’s likely to cut Oseon off once you are crowned,” Aona warned, turning to looked at Sogo fully. Sogo dropped his shoulders forward as he walked up the rest of the stairs. 

“Fine. I’ll behave and keep quiet,” he said, lowering his head as well.

“Good, better to be quiet and alive, don’t you think?” Aona hummed as he turned back around, opening the door.

“You’re fired, Aona. Like, not really, but you’re fired,” Sogo grumbled, grabbing the door and pushing Aona through it. Aona laughed and turned once he was through the door, looking at Sogo.

“I’m not sure what you mean, Sir,” he said, clasping his hands behind his back.

“Shut up and keep walking. I’ll explain the rules later. I’m not looking for a lecture from my father anytime soon,” Sogo said, letting the door slam behind him.

“Roll your sleeves down, so you look presentable, Sir. Fix your hair, too. First impressions are the most important,” Aona remarked, doing nothing to fix his own appearance.

“You do it, too, then,” Sogo objected, pointing at Aona.

“Pointing isn’t polite, Sir,” Aona reminded him, rolling his sleeves down, but not cuffing the wrists, instead letting them flutter around his hands.

“You look like a mess,” Sogo snapped, grabbing Aona’s hand and fixing the sleeve around wrist so it was snug and unwrinkled.

“Sir, I don’t have to look good for this meeting,” Aona said, his tone bored as he let Sogo tug his hands closer, so he could fix his cuffs.

“You reflect on me,” Sogo scoffed, moving to fix the collar on Aona’s shirt.

“Not in these meetings. In there, I’m expected to look like I’ve been working hard,” Aona said.

“It doesn’t matter if you look decent. That doesn’t mean you’re not working hard to make sure I’m protected,” Sogo said, brushing his fingers through Aona’s hair to fix it so it was out of his eyes. Aona rolled his eyes and lowered his head.

“Yes, Sir. I understand. I will make sure I look presentable at all possible times,” he said, pulling his hands back to his sides.

“Good. Now, let’s go. I’ll fix my hair on the way,” Sogo muttered.  

                Aona smiled softly to himself and lifted his head.

“Yes, Sir,” he said as he started walking, his hands at his sides and his eyes darting over the hall.

“Ziv Haft. I hope I don’t mess up his name,” Sogo muttered from behind Aona, walking to keep up with him.

“You’ll do fine, Sir. You just need to relax,” Aona said, moving his hands behind his back once he was down skimming over the area.

“If my father must be here, why isn’t King Siey be here as well?” Sogo asked. Aona looked back at Sogo, licking his lip.

“King Siey, he can’t come here, Sogo. His guards are mixed race and as a king, he’s not going to come here unprotected,” he said. “That’s why he’s sending Ziv; to try and get your father to banish those rules so he can visit and actually talk to your father.”

“He has mixed race guards? Why?” Sogo asked, his brows furrowing in confusion. Aona bit his lip and turned back around.

“In all fairness, Sir, he’s not a prick like your father is. His continent is diverse, and everyone is happy. They don’t have to follow old ways to be satisfied,” he said, digging his fingers into his palms.

“You watch your mouth, Aona, or I won’t hesitate to put you back in your place. My father is still your king. He demands your respect and I demand that you give it to him,” Sogo said. Aona lowered his head and stopped walking.

“Yes, Sir. I’m sorry, Sir. I won’t do it again,” he whispered. Sogo stopped behind him, setting his hands on Aona’s shoulders.

“I just don’t want you to slip up in front of somebody closer to the king and get told on. I don’t want you endangering your life,” he said, patting Aona’s shoulders.

“I understand, Sir. I won’t let it happen again,” Aona said, raising his head once again. “We should keep moving.”

“Of course. Just know, there’s no hard feelings, Aona. I just don’t want you to accidentally get yourself killed because you’ve got a loose tongue,” Sogo said, pulling his hands back. Aona nodded and let his hands fall to his sides as he continued walking.

“Your father should already be here. It might take a little longer for Ziv to get here because he’s got to go through the port, but you shouldn’t have to wait long,” he said, turning once he reached the end of the room. “Short way, Sir?”

                Sogo nodded and ran his fingers through his hair in attempt to straighten out the knots in it.

“Yes, the short way. Would like to be able to do something after this meeting before I’ve got to go hunting,” he answered, brushing his bangs to the side.

“Yes, Sir. Do you want to go first?” Aona asked, tilting his head slightly to both sides, relieving some of the pressure on his neck.

“You can go first.” Aona nodded and turned back around, walking through the first doorway of the three.

“Do you know if you’re going to say anything in the meeting or if you just want to watch?” he asked, letting his eyes roam slowly over the hallway as they walked. Sogo hummed softly behind him.

“I’m not sure. What would I even say?” he asked.

“You could put in your thoughts about the port procedures. Whether you agree or not and what your father and you could do to change that rule or why you even have the rule,” Aona suggested after a minute.

“Wouldn’t disagreeing with him make him mad?” Sogo asked, looking at the back of Aona’s head.

“Not necessarily. Even if you disagree, and explain why you do, it’ll make him feel like you’re listening to him instead of just ignoring what he’s saying,” Aona answered, tapping his fingers against his thighs as they neared the end of the hallway.

“You’d make a great king, Aona. You’ll have to teach me a thing or two,” Sogo said, grinning slightly. Aona chuckled and ducked his head.

“Thank you, Sir. I’ll teach you a few things that I’ve picked up around the castle,” he agreed.

“Where’d you learn all this stuff anyway?” Sogo asked.

“I’ve got more advanced classes than you do, Sir. I’ve actually been learning the dialects of Kluynahrie,” Aona replied, stopping at the end of the hallway.

“Really? Is it hard?”

“Not really. Someone of it is tricky, and sometimes I slip out of the dialect and back into my own, but I’ve been getting better. I’ll show you after the meeting,” Aona said. Sogo grinned and nodded his head, rolling his shoulders.

“Is Ziv going to talk in Ukuri?” he asked.

“No, he knows both Klivahrie and Drijahrie, Sir,” Aona answered, turning his head to look at Sogo.

“Am I going to have to learn them?”

“Yes, Sir. You will learn them before you’re crowned. It’s the respectful thing to do, so that your visitors don’t always have to be the ones who speak in a different dialect.”

                Sogo nodded again and tipped his head back.

“Is the difference real noticeable?” he asked. Aona shook his head.

“No, Sir. The numbers are the same. The vowels have a slight change and Ukuri has an extra letter,” he replied.

“That doesn’t seem so bad.”

“It’s not, Sir. Most words will be the same, but others are different,” Aona said.

“Could you show me?” Sogo asked, looking back to Aona.

“How should I do that?” Aona asked, moving his hands in front of him.

“What’s a word that different?”

“The only one I can think of off the top of my head is ‘you’. It’s different in Klivahrie and Drijahrie,” Aona answered.

“Say it in Drijahrie, then say it in Klivahrie so I can hear the difference,” Sogo demanded, crossing his arms over his stomach. Aona nodded and tipped his head to the side as he thought for a moment.

“You,” he said, straightening his head again. “ _You_.”

“That’s it? They switched the vowel sounds around?” Sogo asked, his brows furrowing.

“Yes, Sir. Their vowels are backwards,” Aona replied, clasping his hands together.

“That’s not hard at all. You. _You_ ,” Sogo said.

“It’s quite easy, Sir. You’ll get the hang of it once you start learning it,” Aona said. Sogo bit his lip and tilted his head to the side slightly.

“What if my father decides not to teach me? What if that’s how he ruins my reign before it even starts?” he asked. Aona shrugged his shoulders before looking at Sogo.

“If he doesn’t start teaching you soon, Sir, I’ll help you learn it. It might take longer because I’m still learning it and I’m not a teacher,” he said.

“I’m sure you’ll do fine. Besides, they’re just dialects. They can’t be that hard to learn,” Sogo said. “I’m sure that if Ziv was to talk, I’d be able to cypher out most of it.” Aona grinned and let out a soft chuckle.

“I’m sure you could, Sir.”

                Aona turned slightly and walked through the doorway into the little room with one window.

“Do I look presentable, Sir?” he asked, turning fully towards Sogo. Sogo ran his eyes over Aona’s frame.

“Yes, you look presentable. Do I?” he asked. Aona took a minute to look over Sogo carefully.

“Your hair is a bit wild, but that’s nothing new. You look fine, Sir,” he replied, looking back up at Sogo’s face. Sogo smiled and shook his head a bit.

“Good. Let’s go then,” he said. Aona grasped the door’s handle in his hand tightly, pulling it open. Sogo took a step back so Aona could enter first. Aona let go of the door, stepping inside and scanning the area briefly. He moved aside to let Sogo into the room. King Suly was sitting at the table under one of the windows, Ziv at the opposite side.

“You’re late,” King Suly said, looking up at Sogo as he stepped in. Sogo bit his lip and lowered his head.

“I know, Sir. My class ran a bit long,” he said. King Suly let out a grunt and pushed the chair behind him out.

“Just come sit so we can get started. I don’t care for your excuses,” he grumbled out. Sogo nodded and moved to sit in the chair, Aona following him.

“Quite warm today,” Ziv said, crossing his legs under the table. Sogo kept his gaze on the table, his hands clasped in his lap.

“Enough with the small talk, Ziv. Let’s just get this over with. I know you don’t want to be here either,” King Suly said. Ziv let out a soft sigh, setting his chin on his fist as he looked at Sogo.

“So, you’re the prince? Why haven’t you been crowned yet?” he asked, leaning forward on his chair. Aona tapped Sogo’s back gently when he didn’t answer.

“I don’t know the real reason, Sir, but I suppose it’s because I’m irresponsible and am unable to make good decisions,” Sogo answered, looking up from the table. He bit his lip to keep his expression neutral as he looked at Ziv’s face. A ragged scar covered his left cheek and his right eye had a piece of cloth over it.

“That’s not why you haven’t been crowned, Sogo. You’ve been doing better lately, but I’m staying on the throne for a bit longer. I’m getting everything ready for you,” King Suly said. Ziv moved his gaze to King Suly instead of Sogo.

“Getting everything ready as in dropping all of these ridiculous rules you have?” he asked, his tone bitter. King Suly sighed and shook his head. 

“No, Ziv. I’m not getting rid of any rules. You’ve got to understand that Oseon is all about culture. I won’t be doing anything that will ruin our culture,” he said. Sogo bit his lip as he glanced up at Aona. Aona nodded and clasped his hands behind his back, shifting in his spot.

“I’m not exactly sure why we have the rules in place for the ports, but I understand where you’re coming from. I don’t agree, but I feel your frustration. I’d be upset if I couldn’t enter because of my race,” Sogo said, looking from Aona to Ziv. “Oseon has a lot of culture that we’re trying to preserve. We could be doing it in a more efficient way, but the past rulers haven’t been open to change.”

                Ziv let out a soft chuckle, running his fingers over the wood of the table.

“Would you be open to change, prince?” he asked, raising one eyebrow. Sogo bit his tongue and looked back at the table.

“I’d be open to changing some things with the port procedures, but I wouldn’t be open to changing everything, Sir,” he answered. King Suly scoffed and leaned back on his chair.

“You won’t get the people to change with you, Sogo. It doesn’t matter how hard you try, the people of Oseon are very cultural and you won’t change their minds,” he said, turning his head to look at Ziv. “ _Don’t mind him. He just runs around with his bodyguard all day. He’s more_ _of a child than a prince_.” Sogo tilted his head at the broken language coming from his father’s mouth. He looked up at Aona, his brows furrowed. Aona nodded without looking down at Sogo.

“ _Haven’t bothered to_ _teach him anything other than Drijahrie, I see_ ,” Ziv said. Sogo looked back to the table, wringing his hands together.

“ _Didn’t think it was too important, seeing_ _as he’s not going to be crowned yet_ ,” King Suly said, glancing at Sogo. Ziv hummed softly and looked up at Aona.

“ _Does the guard_ _know it_?” he asked, keeping his eyes on Aona.

“ _He might. I don’t bother with_ _him. He’s quite useless at this point_ ,” King Suly replied. Ziv rolled his eyes and hummed quietly.

“ _Guard, what’s_ _your name_?” he asked. Aona gripped his hands tighter behind his back, turning his head to Ziv.

“ _It’s Aona_ _, Sir_ ,” he said, his tongue tripping over the foreign dialect. Ziv chuckled and ran his tongue over his scarred upper lip.

“ _Seems like you can understand it quite well, but you haven’t mastered speaking, yet,”_ he said, leaning back on his chair.

“ _Yes, Sir. I’ve had no practice speaking, but I’ve had plenty of practice reading, writing, and listening to Ukuri and Klivarhie,”_ Aona said. _Z_ iv let out a quiet chuckle.

“ _You must be very well trained to not bat an eye at the king speaking poorly of you,”_ he mumbled, running his fingers over his jaw.

                Sogo clenched his jaw and looked back at the table, his fingers wringing around each other in his lap.

“I don’t like to let those types of things bother me. I’ve got more important things to do; protecting the prince,” Aona said, slipping back into his native dialect at Sogo’s discomfort. Ziv nodded and uncrossed his legs.

“I understand. It’s good that you take your job seriously. The prince is lucky,” he said, looking at King Suly. “He’s not useless, Suly. He’s doing a wonderful job; you should praise him more often for protecting your son.”

“Sogo seems to be taking after his grandfather,” King Suly sighed, resting his chin on his fist.

“That’s not what this meeting is about,” Sogo blurted out, looking up from the table. “I’m sorry, Sir, but we won’t be changing the rule about pureblood Kobolds being the only ones to get through the ports. I understand your frustration, but this is our continent and our culture. We won’t be changing anything.” Sogo stood up, bowing slightly to Ziv and then to King Suly before he turned and left the room.

                Outside of the door, Sogo ran his hands through his hair roughly, kicking at the wall. He took a deep breath, resting his forehead on the wall as he let his shoulders drop. The door behind him opened and closed after a few moments, but Sogo didn’t move; staying in the same position even when a hand landed on his shoulder.

“Are you okay, Sir?” Aona asked, his voice soft. Sogo let out a sigh and let his shoulders drop more.

“I’m fine, Aona. Just tired of doing the same stuff everyday and getting no closer to my goal,” he said. Aona nodded and patted Sogo’s shoulder.

“Do you want to go get lunch and we can go back to your room and I’ll start teaching you the dialects, Sir?” he asked, looking at Sogo. Sogo let out another sigh and nodded, standing up straight.

“That sounds good. Sorry that my father stepped all over you in there,” he apologized, rolling his shoulders. Aona shrugged and pulled his hand away from Sogo’s shoulder.

“It’s no problem, Sir. Like I said; I’m here to protect you and whatever he has to say is irrelevant to me,” he said with a soft smile. Sogo smiled back and ran a hand through his hair.

“You really are the perfect guard.”


End file.
